Brighton striker Neal Maupay has explained his altercation with Crystal Palace counterpart Wilfried Zaha.
The Frenchman taunted Zaha by replicating his own celebration after scoring a late equaliser in the derby clash at Selhurst Park on Monday.
"Football is nothing without fans and some involvement with players," Maupay said after the 1-1 draw.
"The atmosphere was really tough and when I scored I looked at Zaha and smiled at him because when he scored his penalty he celebrated and he gave some to our fans. I won't say what he said and what I said but you know how it is on the pitch with players sometimes. You give banter on the pitch sometimes and it was the perfect time to give him something."
On his goal, Maupay added: "I knew because I asked the ref how long was on the clock and he said a minute so I was like 'OK, we might have one more chance but we might not'. The ball went in behind the defender and I believed I could get it and in the end I scored so I'm very, very happy.
"You've got to believe the ball is coming to you even if you might not get it. If you don't believe the ball is coming then you might stop and it's too late and the defender might be in front of you. The whole game we didn't have much to work with for the forwards but sometimes one chance is all it takes to score and get something from the game."
Need a VPN? Or seeking to switch? Then support Tribal Football by clicking here to sign up with our official partners NordVPN. Not only will you receive the best VPN experience, but also great discounts by signing up via Tribal Football. Thanks for your support!